Sanitary apparatus



jMay 11,1943." F.'BRACKE SANITARY APPARATUS Filed July 17, 1941.

Patente d May 11, 1943 SANITARY APPARATUS Robert F. Bracke, Arlington Heights, 11]., asaignor to B. F. Bracke & Company, Chicago, 111., a partnership composed of Robert F. Bracke and Robert Anderson Application July 17, 1941, Serial No. 402,745 11 Claims. (Ci. 4-222) My invention relates to sanitary apparatus which is more particularly adapted for but not limited to use in the lavatories of industrial establishments employing women who handle food stufls or other articles which are to be protected against contamination.

An object of my invention is to provide sanitary apparatus which will make it necessary for a person to disinfect her hands after using the toilet facilities of such an establishment.

An object of my invention is to provide sanitary apparatus of the foregoing type'whlch is inexpensive to manufacture and install, trouble free in use, and may be easily applied to existing toilet facilities.

Another'object of my invention is to provide sanitary apparatus which may be readily cleaned and maintained in perfect condition.

Another object of my invention is to provide novel means for requiring aperson to disinfect both hands.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement of disinfectant basinand switch mechanism associated therewith.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a preferred form of my invention applied to the toilet facilities of an industrial establishment or similar concern.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the disinfectant basin and switch mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-3 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1, I have diagrammatically shown that part of a lavatory of the kind commonly found in industrial establishments comprising the toilet stalls It, II and I2, each containing a conventional toilet ll. Each stall has a door It, pivotally supported on one or more hinges It and provided witha spring It for swinging each door to open position.

Each door is adapted to be held in closed position by a sliding latch II, urged outwardly to door engaging position by a spring it, it being understood that the latch II and spring I! are suitably supported on each door frame adjacent a door opening. Each door is illustrated as being provided with a U-shaped bracket it for receiving the latch I! when the door is in closed position.

It will be noted that the latches ll are outside of the toilet stalls and are not accessible from the interior thereof. Each latch is provided with a solenoid 2! which, when energized, serves to retract its associated latch l1 and permit the door thus released to be swung to open position by its spring ll. Each solenoid is adapted to be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy through a pair of switches 2| and 22 associated with a disinfectant basin 22 in such manner that the employee mustdip both hands into the disinfectant in the disinfectant basin in order to operate these switches and thus eifect opening of the door it.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that I have provided a basin 22 which may be made of any suitable material but which- I preferably make of cast iron or sheet steel suitably enameled. This basin is provided with openings for receiving the screws 24 whereby the basin may be firmly attached to a stationary wall of the stall in such manner that opening and closing of the door will not result in splashing or loss of disinfectant from the basin. A suitable drain plug 25 is preferably provided in the lowermost part of the basin to permit complete drainage thereof when desired.

An L-shaped bracket 28 is attached to the upper part of the basin, as by screws 21, and carries the switches 2| and 22. In the embodiment illustrated, these switches are push button switches of an inexpensive kind, readily available on the open market, and are mounted in suitable apertures provided in the bracket 28. The switches 2| and 22 are pushed upwardly through these apertures and are retained in place by spring retainers forming unitary parts of the push button switches. The lead wires for the switches pass through an opening 28 and downwardly in slot 2| formed in that portion of the basin which engages the supporting wall.

Switches 2i and 22 are enclosed by a removal cover 30 secured in place by bolts 3 I, or any other suitable attaching means. This cover provides aligned openings 32 and 33 for each switch operating pin 24. Each of these pins has an enlarged head 35 at its lower end and adjacent the bottom of the basin and each pin is provided with a transverse opening for receiving a cotter pin 36, which determines the normal position of its associated switch operating pin.

Before leaving a stall, an employee immerses her hands in the basin 23 and places her fingers beneath the switch operating pins 35 and raises them simultaneously to operate the switches 2| and 22 and thus close the circuit through the associated solenoid 20. This solenoid thereby withdraws its latch l'l whereby the door of the stall is swung open by spring it. The cover 30 is provided with a web 31 which is located intermediate the switch control pins 34, so that both pins can not be operated by one hand.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the cover 30 may be readily removed to permit inspection and cleaning of the switch operating pins and that part of the basin normally rendered transformer may be connected to the usual lighting circuit of the factory, such as the ordinary 110 volt circuit. In order to protect the employees against dangerous or unpleasant shocks, the transformer 39 is preferably so designed that the voltage in the solenoid circuits is in the order of to 24 volts, as I have found such voltage is ample to operate the solenoids 20.

It is desirable to have some means in addition to the switches 2| and 22 for withdrawing the latches ll. This may be accomplished by providing each latch with a handle or other part which can be readily gripped by a person outside the stalls to withdraw any desired latch. I have found it desirable, however, to provide an electrical switch-M outside each stall, and preferably mounted on the door frame thereof, for controlling the solenoid 20 of such stall independently of the switches 2i and 22. As shown in Fig. 1, each switch 4! is mounted in parallel with the set of switches 2| and 22 for controlling its solenoid 20.

I have also shown one master release switch 42 arranged in parallel with all of the switches 4i and adapted simultaneously to energize all of the solenoids 20, thus withdrawing all of the latches I1 and permitting any and all of the closed doors to be swung to open positions by spring IS.

The several disinfectant basins 23 are designed to be kept clean and filled with suitable disinfectant up to approximately the level shown in Fig. 3. After an employee has used a toilet, she will immerse both hands into the disinfectant and raise the switch control pins 34, thereby closing both switches 21 and 22 associated with that particular basin. This, in turn, energizes the solenoid 20 in circuit with such switches and causes such solenoid to withdraw its latch H. The door I4 of that particular stall is then swung to openposition by its spring l6, whereupon the employee'may leave the stall and return to her duties.

As soon as the employee withdraws her fingers from beneath the switch control pins 34, these pins drop downwardly under their own weight and the associated switches 2i and 22 return to their normal open positions. The latch I! is thereupon returned to its inward position by its associated spring ill. The door engaging end of the latch I1 is beveled, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so-that when the door is next closed the bracket l9 can pass the latch l! and be re-engaged thereby to hold the door in closed position. a

A valuable feature of my arrangement of parts lies in the fact that both the basin and solenoid are located on stationary walls so that it is unnecessary to provide wiring connections across pivoted or other movable joints, such as would be necessary if either of these devices were located on the door-or other movable partition.

While I have illustrated and described only'one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention can assume numerous forms and that the scope of my invention is described in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described for controlling the opening of a door of a toilet compartment, the combination of a disinfectant basin mounted upon an inside stationary wall of such compartment, a latch for holding the door of such compartment in closed position, a solenoid for withdrawing said latch, a spring for opening said door, a pair of switches connected in series and controlling the supply of electrical therewith, a solenoid latch release for the door of said compartment connected in series with both of said switches for permitting opening of the door upon operation of the solenoid, a pair of switch operating means located adjacent the bottom of said basin and well beneath the normal level of the liquid therein for operating said solenoid, and a partition in said basin separating said switch operating means.

3. In apparatus of the class described for controlling the opening of the door of a toilet compartment comprising a latch for said door mounted in said compartment, a door latch inaccessible to manual operation from inside said compartment, a solenoid for releasing said latch to permit opening of the door, a pair of switches connected in series with said solenoid for effecting operation of the latter to release said latch, and switch operating means mounted on the rear wall of said basin, said operating means having hand engaging portions located close together and well beneath the normal liquid level of said basin.

4. In apparatus of the class described for controlling the opening of the door of I a toilet compartment comprising a latch for said door inaccessible from the inside of said compartment, a liquid disinfectant basin located in said compartment, a bracket provided by said basin, means including a pair of switches mounted on said bracket operable to effect release of said latch, a removable cover for said switches, and switch operating means mounted in said cover and having hand engaging portions extending therebeyond to locations beneath a normal liquid level in said basin.

5. In apparatus of the class described for controlling the opening of a door of a toilet compartment comprising a latch for said door inaccessible from the interior of said compartment, a liquid disinfectant basin mounted in said compartment, a pair of switches associated with said basin and connected in series and operable to release said latch, a cover for said switches,

means including manually operable parts extending beneath the normal liquid level in said basin for operating said switches, and a partition carried by said cover to prevent one hand operation of both said parts.

6. In apparatus for compelling a person to disinfect the hands, a liquid disinfectant basin, means for attaching said basin to a support, control means, a pair of switches mounted adiacent the rear wall of said basin simultaneously operable to effect operation of said control means, an opening and a groove provided in said rear wall to permit wiring connections for said switches to extend through said wall and downwardly between said wall and said support, a'box-like cover for said switches, a switch op erating pin for each switch, guide means provided by said cover for said operating 'pins, and

a partition provided by said cover and extendassociated with said basin and connected in series in said circuit, switch operating means for said switches having manually engageable parts located in said basin beneath the normal liquid level thereof, and means for preventing one hand operation of both of said operating means, whereby both hands must be immersed in the disinfectant liquid to operate said switches into said predetermined positions.

8. In apparatus for compelling a person to disinfect the hands, the combination of a basin for holding a quantity of disinfectant liquid, a switch mounted in proximity to the basin, a removable cover for said switch extending below the liquid level in the basin, and switch operating means carried by said cover and having a basin for manual actuation and accessible only below the normal liquid level to require immersion of two hands in the disinfectant liquid thereof, and a control circuit controlled by said switch means.

10. In apparatus for compelling a person to disinfect the hands, the combination of a basin for holding a quantity of disinfectant liquid, manually operated means in said basin extending below the normal liquid level and requiring immersion of two hands in the liquid in the basin for manual actuation, a door opening control mechanism remote from said operating means and basin, and means connecting said door opening control mechanism and said operating means for rendering said operating means effective to operate said. control mechanism to condition said door for opening.

11. In apparatus for compelling a person to disinfect the hands, the combination of a basin for containing a quantity of disinfectant liquid, manually operated means located below the level of liquid in said basin as to be actuatable only by a hand immersed in the liquid therein, operable means remote from the basin and the operation of which is necessary or desirable from the standpoint of a person using said basin, remote control means associated with said last-mentioned means for eflecting operation of said operable means, and an operative connection between sald remote controlmeans and said manually operated means.

ROBERT F. BRACKE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,319,031. May 11, 1915.

ROBERT F BRACKE of the above numbered patent requiring correction a arollows: Page '2, second column, line 11.5, claim 5, for "a latch fer said door ad -a liquid in the Patent Ofric. Signed and sealed an; 6th day or July, A. D. 1919;.

Henry Van Arable, (Seal Acting Commisgioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,519,051 May 11, 19m

ROBERT F. BRACICE.

of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollowss Page 2; sec-- 0nd column, line 1 5, claim 5, for "a latch for said door" read -a liquid disinfectant basin; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. Signed and sealed this 6th day of July, A. D. 1915.

' Henry Van Aradale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

